Tips & knowledge to help your 401k planning efforts.Despite the steady shift of the burden of retirement planning to the individual, average voluntary contributions to DC plans have remained low at 7 percent to 8 percent of pretax income, unchanged over the past 10 years. While this could be adequate for an individual who consistently contributes from age 30 to 65, many Americans start saving past the age of 30 and retire at age 62, which leaves them well short of their needs. (SOURCE: McKinsey & Company, Restoring Americans' Retirement Security: A Shared Responsibilty)